Staying Healthy During Winter

It's January and cold, flu and winter blues have set in. I think it's a perfect time to share some tips on how to keep healthy. Now when I say healthy, most people think of just absence of disease. However health is defined by the WHO as  : A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. So I'll be focusing on ways to stay not only cold and flu free, but also ways to stay healthy in every sense. 


 Cold and Flu : 

I myself usually catch one cold every winter, as an Master Herbalist I know how to take care of myself when I do. I never catch the flu, and I never get a flu vaccination. This isn't to say that you shouldn't. I believe it's one's personal choice for themselves. Anyway, onward I go with some simple tips. 

 
Prevention:

1. I normally try to take a good Vitamin C supplement just to give my Immune system a little extra help. 
2. Drinking Green tea is a wonderful source of antioxidants and it tends to have Immune boosting power.  
3. Eating a healthy diet ( more on this later) 
4. For those who do choose to vaccinate, there is that for the flu. 
 

If you catch it anyway : 

First off, if you think you might have the flu, you'll want to see a doctor to make sure ( I suspected i had it last year, and after they tested me, I just had an Upper Respiratory Infection ). If your not sure what doctor you should see or if your looking for a new doctor I suggest using Amino.com . All you have to do is go to the site, click "Find a Doctor" and type in " Flu"  ( or any condition or test you might need, or even checkup will work) you tell your age and gender, as well as your address and health insurance. You can even pick if you prefer a female or male doctor.  It will give you a list along with a map showing all the doctors in your area. You can click on a name, get doctor information and contact info. It's super simple and fast. 

If you do in fact have the Flu, you may get the standard flu medicine, but usually it only works so well because the flu is a virus. If it's just a cold, then of course there is only so much you can do for that as well. 

Here are tips for helping to relieve the symptoms. 

1. Tea. Any kind really, but green tea and herbal teas are excellent. I generally make a large pot of tea and drink it all day long when I'm sick. 

2.  Of course if you hate tea, drink lots of fluids anyway, it helps thin mucus. Drink fluids such as low sugar fruit juices, water, or low sodium broths. 

3. Chicken soup, it's proven to help. Plus it's pretty yummy.  

4. Garlic is great. It has antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal properties. 

5. Echinacea is a wonderful herb for cold and flu. However check with your doctor, pharmacist or local herbalist ( or you could totally just email me).  Remember just because something is "natural" does not mean it isn't going to produce a chemical reaction inside your body. Herbs, vitamins and medications can have terrible interactions when used together.  

6. Elderberry extract is another great herb that may help. Again check with a health professional.  


Beating the Winter Blues : 


Winter is usually a gray, cold dreary season. Unless you live somewhere sunny all year long. The cold and lack of sunshine can make you feel well totally blue. Here are my tips for helping you stay happy during the winter. 

1. Light. If it's sunny, pull the curtains back and let the sun in, you might just forget it's winter. If it's totally snowy and gloomy outside ( like for me right now, Eastern Kentucky is due for up to 16 inches of snow and some ice this weekend!) try a Wake Up Lamp, these lamps allow you to wake up to light that mimics sunlight. It might just help you feel happier. 

2. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Simple, but I find that cooking and eating brightly colored fruits and veggies make me smile more. 

3. Winter activities. Sometimes if you can't beat it, join it. Go sledding, build a snowman, snow ball fights, a winter hike, winter picnic, there are tons of activities. 

4. Exercise. A lot of those winter activities count as exercise too, and it's proven that exercise makes you happy. If it's dry and at least 40 degrees outside I enjoy a nice jog. Just dress warmly! 

5. Chocolate. Small portions of dark chocolate can lift your mood. Hot chocolate ( without too much added sugars) is perfect for cold dreary nights or after your fun in the snow. 

6. Time with friends and family. If the weather isn't too bad, have some friends over for a game night or a movie night. Company always lifts my mood. 

7. In the worst case, if you feel like your winter blues could be something else, I suggest you visit a doctor to see if you could suffer from depression.

Eating well : 

I mention eating well a lot I know, but it really makes a huge impact on health. I'm going to give some simple tips to help you eat more nutritious foods and possibly stick with those new years resolutions.  

1. Strive for 3 meals a day. Make it a habit. Studies show that eating is actually habitual , so try to make new healthier  habits.  

2. What I currently do ( and it totally works for me) is to make a big salad that will last for days. I usually go for romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, broccoli, baby spinach and onions and store this in a large clear bowl and set it in the middle of my fridge. This way, when I need lunch, but am too lazy to cook, or if I need a post work out meal, or a snack, I see the salad first, and I tend to go for that. That's right, midnight snack? I'm eating salad. It also works for a quick side of veggies for dinner, or I can add an egg and have it for breakfast. 

3. Whole grains. I buy a lot of whole grains. Most pastas are available in whole grain or whole wheat varieties. Also whole grain breads are just as satisfying. Have oatmeal for breakfast instead of sugary cereals. 

4. Yogurt. I like to buy a large tub of organic yogurt. This works for snacks, breakfast smoothies and such. You actually save money when you buy in bulk too. 

5. You can totally sign up for meal plans , just search the internet. I normally like organic , low calorie and not too heavy on the carbs.  

6. Meal prep. It saves you money, and if your getting meal plans, awesome, they go hand in hand. 

7. If your like me and cutting carbs ( just not too much, ok? you still need those grains) I enjoy Soba noodles, they're made from buckwheat, and are half the carbs of traditional noodles. 

8. Read labels. Remember, pay attention to the number of servings per container, as well as the 5/20 rule. 5/20 means that if your wanting to make sure something has a good amount of vitamins or another nutrient look at the percentage, if it's close to 20%, then it's a good source of that nutrient. If it's closer to 5%, then it's not a good source. The same goes for what you WANT TO AVOID, such as fat, and sodium, but in this case, if  say the total fat is close to 20% it is bad, and you should rethink this food choice, if the total fat is closer to 5% then this is a much healthier choice. 

8. With healthy eating tip #2 in mind, make sure you eat the recommended servings for fruit and veggies, or follow the choosemyplate.gov suggestion, half the plate, fruits and veggies ( I usually do half my plate just veggies for lunch and dinner, and have fruit and veggies for breakfast, and like an orange for a snack). 
 
 I hope these tips have helped and hopefully inspired you to be healthier this winter. Below I'm including a informative guide from Amino.com .